Derecka Purnell was one of the first Harvard law students to see the black tape placed over about six portraits of Harvard Law School’s tenured black facultyWednesday morning. “I was surprised to see it …” Purnell said, before reconsidering: “Actually, I wasn’t surprised at all.” The incident comes at a moment when, nationwide, college students are demanding action against the entrenched white supremacy and racism they say still pervades campus life. Even at elite liberal universities such as Harvard – places where some might believe that racist symbols and behavior are a relic of the past – these discussions and protests persist. And…

President Obama says protecting America’s homeland does not mean it must close its borders to refugees. “We have shown that we can welcome refugees and ensure our security — that there’s no contradiction,” he said Saturday in Malaysia, according to The Washington Post. “As long as I’m president, we will keep stepping up and ensure America remains, as it has always been, a place where people who in other parts of the world are subject to violence and discrimination have in America a friend and a place of refuge,” Obama said while visiting a refugee center in Kuala Lumpur. “[Refugee…

By Devin Henry – 11/14/15 01:24 PM EST Diplomats have agreed on a timeline for a political transition in Syria, though major sticking points remain on the right way to draw down the four-year-old conflict. At a meeting in Vienna on Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry said leaders had agreed to set a Jan. 1 date for the beginning of talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad and opposition groups fighting against him, the Associated Press reports. Within six months, those negotiators would be required to decide on a “credible, inclusive and nonsectarian” transitional government for the country. That government…

By Bradford Richardson – 11/14/15 01:13 PM EST The Hill—At least one attacker outside France’s national soccer pitch had a ticket to the match and tried to enter the 80,000-person stadium Friday, a Stade de France security guard who was on duty at the time told the Wall Street Journal. The guard, who asked to be identified by only his first name, Zouheir, said the attacker was wearing an explosive vest and was caught when he was frisked at the entrance to the stadium. Zouheir said the attacker detonated his vest while attempting to back away from security. A French…

“Of all the world leaders who have visited Britain, only Nelson Mandela and the Pope have addressed bigger public gatherings than Narendra Modi’s rally at Wembley,” boasts a spokeswoman for the UK Welcomes Modi organisation. It is billed as a grand community reception, and 60,000 Modi supporters – almost all of Indian origin – are expected to crowd into the sports stadium in north London on Friday afternoon. It will be his first visit to Britain as prime minister and many in the Indian community have been eagerly awaiting this moment. “People are going mad for Modi, Modi, Modi,” says CB Patel,…

By Niall Stanage and Amie Parnes – 10/13/15 06:00 AM EDT LAS VEGAS — It’s showtime for Democrats. After two Republican debates in which businessman Donald Trump commanded much of the attention, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the rest of the Democratic field will take to the stage Tuesday night in a Las Vegas casino for a two-hour encounter. The clash has received fight-style billing from CNN, which will broadcast the event.Here are five key things to watch. Does Clinton go for the Bern? Clinton and Sanders have dominated the Democratic contest so far and will be the main protagonists in Las Vegas. Sanders has…